Kitchen

[msh8970]

They have "Sweet Basil French" and "Basil California Sweet". What is the difference? Their descriptions do not help, they have the same descrption for both..unless I am missing something..? 

If you order basil from Penzey's, which one do you prefer..? And can you explain the difference in the 2 that they have..? Thanks!!  

We do a lot with tomaotes come summertime, so I am mainly wondering which one would be best, but also curious what others like, or what the difference is..? 

Thanks so much!! 

[chickenbutt]

I'm pretty sure that mine is French basil.

Why?    I'm embarrassed to say that I don't even know at this point.  

[Sassealassea]

California sweet basil tastes a wee bit stronger than the traditional French in my opinion..  Maybe a call to Penzey's would help you decide.    I have used both, but tend to stick with the French variety because I am not a fan of over powering with any particular spice.

[VaBelle35]

I rarely use dried basil, only on homemade pizza.  I have the French.  I'm not sure why I bought that one vs the California, but I did.

[Free2be]

This is from the Penzey site:  California basil is a little stronger than French basil, due mainly to better dehydration technology, and is the basil of choice for Italian and American cooking. French basil has a bit of anise flavor many people enjoy.

I've never noticed a taste difference, never paid any attention.  This is good to know for future uses.